


United by the Crystal Shards

by FierySprites



Series: Make a Friend [5]
Category: Kirby (Video Games), Kirby - All Media Types
Genre: Adventure, Canon Rewrite, Developing Friendships, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Headcanon, Humor, Kirby Is Sassy, Novelization
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-05-23
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:42:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23496247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FierySprites/pseuds/FierySprites
Summary: It’s always funny, how a new adventure can unite the most ragtag group of allies.Kirby, Ribbon, Bandana Dee, Adeleine, King Dedede—this is the story of how they came together, under the light of the Crystal Shards.(A five-chapter fic set duringKirby 64: The Crystal Shards—specifically, during the game’s first world.)
Relationships: Adeleine & Ribbon (Kirby), Bandana Waddle Dee & Kirby, Kirby & King Dedede, Kirby & Ribbon (Kirby)
Series: Make a Friend [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1108152
Comments: 10
Kudos: 44





	1. Time for a New Quest!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While watching a meteor shower, Kirby unexpectedly stumbles onto a fairy in need—and with that, a new journey begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is set during the events of _Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards_ —specifically, it is a lite novelization of several scenes from the game’s first world, **Pop Star**. Expect references to _Kirby’s Dream Land 2_ and _3,_ as they are also part of the Dark Matter Trilogy.

**Dream Land – Lookout Point**

Shooting stars twinkled down across the night sky, illuminated by the light of the crescent moon.

And bearing witness to this sight, was a familiar pink puffball lying in the middle of a designated lookout point. The fence marking the boundaries was wide enough that the area could theoretically fit a crew of at least sixteen, though he seemed perfectly content with being alone for the moment.

“It’s beautiful,” he breathed, hands strung out by his sides. “Like a—serenade for the soul! I’ve missed seeing stuff like this.”

It was another fine spring night in Dream Land, and Kirby was spending the time watching a meteor shower pass overhead. He had stumbled upon this vantage point while taking an after-midnight trek, and he was never more happier that he had laid down to take a rest here.

Sure, he didn’t have any of his friends with him, on account of how short notice the meteor shower was. If it wasn’t for that, he probably would’ve gone to get the Animal Buddies to observe this event.

But this was okay, too! Sometimes, you just need a moment to think by yourself – and what better way to do that under such a gorgeous sky?

“I can even count all the shooting stars! One, two, three—man, there’s a lot of ‘em today!” He stretched his hands up high, smiling at the sight. “Now I wish I had a camera. It’d be great to capture this moment for eterni—”

**_“AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”_ **

And then something hit him from behind.

Kirby’s eyes widened in surprise. _Hey, what the—!?_

He yelped as he hit the ground unceremoniously, limbs flailing about in the air. Fortunately, it didn’t take him very long to recover; he was on his feet again in no time.

He blinked as he turned left and right, confusion written all over his face. “I… huh? What was _that…?”_ To the side, he noticed a new figure lying on the grass—a little pink-haired fairy, wearing a red dress and a red ribbon atop her head. Something was being held under in her hand, something small and shiny.

 _She’s… new,_ his mind blankly supplied. _She—She just fell outta the sky, like… Gooey._

His first instinct was to approach her and see what was up—but that was interrupted by something else smacking into his back, though much smaller in mass than the fairy. He whirled around— _There’s more!?—_ and spotted a blue-purple crystal on the floor.

He strode over to it, eyes swapping between the crystal and Pop Star’s newest visitor. “She’s holding one of these things herself,” he realized. He picked it up – and became startled by the aura emanating from it. “It… feels a little like the Rainbow Drops—and the Heart Stars! That—That can’t be a coincidence…!”

* * *

**_“Why…?”_ ** _Zero asked slowly, red blood dripping from his eye. **“Why do I feel such pain? What is this energy coursing through me?”**_

_Kirby flew about, swinging the Love-Love Stick at the Dark Matter entity. “Still, you can’t tell what this is?” he retorted. “It’s the power of positive emotions—a power that can beat the power of emptiness any day!”_

**_“…impossible.”_ ** _The massive eyeball reeled back and sent globs of crimson toward the duo facing him. **“Such constructs are worthless, in my eyes. I see not why they need exist. Traitor—why would you ally yourself with such ideals…?”**_

_“It’s because I can make friends with them,” Gooey replied. “I can eat with them, I can be happy with them. It’s good.”_

_“I pity you, Zero,” Kirby said. “I really do. All you’ve ever known is despair—and you’ve got no one else to tell you otherwise. That’s why we’ll win,” he glared determinedly at him—“because… we’re not alone! And so long as we’re not alone, the light of hope will always shine in our hearts!”_

**_“I…”_ ** _Zero was speechless. There was strength in the puffball’s words—a strength that gave him the power to fight here._

_It was… It was…_

_~~…it was like nothing he’d ever seen before.~~ _

**_“I don’t understand. I don’t understand this at all…”_ **

* * *

…it wasn’t _that_ long ago that Pop Star had gone through its last planetary crisis.

So there could no mistaking what this artifact represented, in the context of what he knew.

_Something’s not right… Could—Could this be…?_

A groan brought his attention back on the grounded fairy. She was picking herself off the floor, looking quite out of it. “Awawawawawa… Your Majesty… Please don’t blame me for eating all the ice cream…”

_That’s… not what I expected to hear from her, I’ll admit._

_Does she like food, too?_

She shook her head. “Her—Her Majesty! She sent me to—I, I was trying— _the Great Crystal!”_ Her head frantically glanced about, sheer panic on her features. “Where is it!? Those dark things, they attacked Ripple Star, but they couldn’t have gotten that too please don’t let it be true she entrusted me with it I can’t have—I can’t have—”

Then her gaze fell upon the lone crystal resting by her feet. Her heart dropped.

“I… I can’t have **failed** …”

She picked up the tiny gem and sighed.

“They’ve… They’ve won,” she said hoarsely. “Without the Great Crystal, there’s… no way I can save my home from _them._ Wha—What am I supposed to do now…?”

Kirby didn’t entirely know what the fairy’s plight was yet, but he’d have to be heartless not to feel for the poor girl.

_I can’t just leave her in misery like that. I may not know her, but I can tell: she definitely needs a friend!_

The puffball picked up the other crystal and walked over to her. “Hey! Fairy lady!”

“Huh…?” She perked her head up to see Kirby’s smiling face, welcoming her warmly to Dream Land.

“You seem to be in a bit of a rut,” he noted. “Is there anything wrong?”

The fairy backed away from the hero, fear popping up on her face—having been through quite the harrowing experience, it was understandable that she’d act so hesitantly. “S-S- _Stay away!”_ she stammered. “I—I—! I have this C-Crystal Shard, and I’m—I’m sure I can figure out s- _something_ with it!”

“Hey, hey, there’s no need to be like that!” Kirby replied, holding his hands up in the air. “C’mon, you can tell me what’s on your mind! I promise I won’t bite!”

She looked hesitant to accept his offer, but eventually, she relented.

She slouched. “It’s just… my planet was invaded by these creatures of darkness, so my queen sent me to escape with the Great Crystal—the relic that keeps our world full of positivity. I made it out before it was too late, but… they managed to catch up to me anyway.” She held out her little fragment as tears welled up in her eyes. “The Crystal Shards are _everywhere_ now, and—I have no idea where I’m supposed to start! I can’t do this by myself…!”

Kirby frowned – he had his suspicions earlier, but now they had been virtually confirmed.

_‘Creatures of darkness’…?_

_…she has to be referring to **Dark Matter**._

And, well… wasn’t _that_ just an unsettling thing to discover.

* * *

Dark Matter was a nebulous topic at _best._

Few knew if there was even a consciousness inside of its pitch-black mass. Even fewer could understand its goals, its motivations—or the nature of its very existence.

All they knew was that it was dangerous… and that when faced with it, it was best to _run._

Run, run, run for their lives—and never, _ever_ look back.

~~(It was a better fate than being held captive inside their own brains.)~~

Five years ago, a single **Dark Matter Blade** descended from the skies. Two-and-a-half years ago, **Zero** did the same thing, only he was accompanied by an _armada_ of Dark Matter entities. As best as Kirby could tell, they wanted to engulf Pop Star in eternal darkness – which was to be achieved by spreading their influence _everywhere._

Naturally, Kirby and Gooey fought back.

Kirby was a puffball, holding infinite power in the shape of a friend. Gooey was a blob _of_ Dark Matter, carefree and oblivious but still a kindhearted person. Together with the Animal Buddies, they acted as a light in the deepest darkness, the proof that anyone could be a friend if they just try. They refused to fall, despite everything they were up against—

—and Dark Matter and Zero couldn’t comprehend it. To them, it was impossible that such fortitude could be conceived.

In the end, that was why they fell.

Their inability to experience positive emotions gave them a weakness, which was only amplified by Pop Star’s resident artifacts. Using the power of the Rainbow Drops and Heart Stars for each respective villain, the heroes repulsed them from Pop Star twice – and that, as they say, should’ve been that.

Except, as it turned out… no. No, it wasn’t.

* * *

_Somehow, they’re even more persistent than **Dedede** is,_ Kirby mused. _It’s not enough that they tried to reduce Dream Land to nothingness… now they want to do the same to the rest of the galaxy!_

_Too bad for them… I **refuse** to let them do that!_

He smiled at the fairy and held up the Crystal Shard he had found. “Don’t worry, fairy lady! If you can’t do this alone, then I’ll have to help you out!”

The pink-haired girl lifted her head, hope daring to bloom in her eyes. “R-Really…? You’d be willing to do that for me…?”

“Of course! I’m a friend, after all! Just show me where to go, and that’s where I’ll head!”

It was a testament to how sincere Kirby was that Ms. Interplanetary Visitor believed him, just like that. That smile of his couldn’t be wrong—and so, she made her decision.

“Okay!” she nodded. “If you say we can do this, then we’ll do this. Together!”

Kirby closed his eyes and beamed. “That’s the spirit!”

The two Crystal Shards glowed with a white light. They were drawn closer and closer to each other, until finally they fused into a single, slightly larger Crystal.

The puffball hopped up and down in happiness. “So— _hiiiiiiiii~!_ I’m **Kirby** ,” he introduced himself—“Kirby of the Stars! And you?”

“My name’s **Ribbon** ,” the fairy replied. “Ribbon of Ripple Star! It’s nice to meet you, Kirby!”

“Nice to meet you too, Ribbon,” Kirby said. “So, where are we gonna go first? Green Greens? Vegetable Valley? My house?”

“Umm…” Ribbon looked out into the horizon, taking notice of the meteor shower occurring above. She pointed a finger at the sky “I think we gotta go where those Crystal Shards are falling! Look, can you see them?”

Kirby followed her gaze, and sure enough, he could see gems of a blue-purple light being interspersed with the actual shooting stars. Some were further away than others, but nevertheless they provided a clear route to take.

“Then that-a-way we go! C’mon, I’ll race ya there!” He took off in a flash, racing in the direction of the rising sun. Surprisingly, it hadn’t taken that long for the sky to brighten up and the clouds to come a-knocking—which was fine by Kirby, honestly! _It wouldn’t do to begin an adventure in the dark of night!_ he laughed internally.

“Wait up, Kirby!” Ribbon shouted, flying as fast as she could after her new friend. Despite how dire her circumstances were, she couldn’t help but have a bright smile of her own reaching toward her cheeks. “Don’t leave me behind already!”

And so, Kirby’s latest adventure began in an ever-so-classic way: the good puffball making a friend and setting out with them in tow. What awaited him on this journey to confront Dark Matter a third time? Would he be joined by even more companions as he shot off into the stars?

In any case… this was sure to be an interesting tale to tell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve been wanting to write about the events of _Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards_ for quite some time now. And hey, having another **Make a Friend** prequel fic isn’t the worst thing in the world!
> 
> I was going to do a lite novelization of all of the game’s cutscenes past the pre-title screen intro, but knowing me, that’d end up taking literally forever to finish. So I decided to dial things back a bit: instead of the whole game, I’m doing just the first world. I think it works out well enough—I mean, I still get to have copious amounts of fluffy friendship! Who _doesn’t_ like that?
> 
> I’ve always enjoyed writing Kirby getting to befriend people in this ‘verse – and this one’s no exception. (It helps that Ribbon’s one of my favorite characters to pen.) Now, I don’t ship Kirby and Ribbon by any means – I headcanon Kirby as more of a friendship guy than a romance guy – but that doesn’t mean I don’t think they’re cute together as companions.
> 
> Speaking of companions… another reason I’m doing this fic is to serve as an introduction to the bonds between the Crystal Shards crew. Since they’re good friends by the time _In Times of Crisis_ rolls around, I figure it’s a good idea to establish their origins here – I can’t seem to stop writing about them, after all. (Not to mention, I have a few running character arcs to follow up on…)
> 
> Well, that’s all for now – tune in next time for Bandana Dee’s stellar introduction!


	2. Not Just a Pretty Face

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bandana Dee has always wanted to be more than a bystander, to find his own self-defined purpose in life.
> 
> Luckily for him, a chance encounter with Kirby will finally give him the opportunity to do so.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is set at the end of **Pop Star** ’s first stage.

Bandana Dee was a simple guy.

A simple guy living a simple life.

…maybe a bit _too_ simple.

He was much like the other non-Dedede affiliated Waddle Dees (save for his trademark blue bandana) in that he was a wanderer. He was reclusive, something of a mystery to Dream Land at large – if you asked anyone about him, they’d consider him a ghost of some sort. Friendship didn’t come easily to him—though panic and uncertainty certainly _did._

He wasn’t like Kirby, bright and friendly. He wasn’t like Gooey, oblivious yet well-meaning. He wasn’t like Meta Knight, cool and enigmatic.

He was just… another pretty face in a crowd full of them.

Moving from place to place, going everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

…he wished he could be _more._

~~(It was such a shame that he often hesitated to take the first step forward.)~~

With his character being what it was, however, he resigned himself to maybe never seeing that prospect come to life.

And so, he continued to drift aimlessly through Dream Land, subsisting purely on the tales of miracles shown to him second-hand…

…that is, until now.

* * *

**Dream Land – Fenced-In Area**

On this fine day, the accessory-wearing Waddle Dee was taking a walk through the grassy fields of Dream Land. The sun was shining overhead, and combined with the spring breeze, it made the perfect weather to go out and relax.

Bandana Dee didn’t have any set goal in mind. True to his nature, he was strolling randomly across the land, letting his instincts carry him wherever he felt.

 _I—I wonder what I’ll see t-today; if it’ll be any d-different from yesterday…_ he wondered. _I mean, they say you learn s-something new every day, r-right?_

_…wait, th-that doesn’t sound like the right phrase…_

He continued to waddle around for a good while, the light of the sun washing over him all the while. Eventually, he stumbled upon a strangely fenced-in area… and with it, a Crystal Shard sitting innocently on the floor.

He blinked. “H-Huh?”

That… That was unusual.

~~(The right kind of unusualness for him, perhaps?)~~

“What… What’s this?”

Cautiously, he poked the glowing shard a few times. It reacted, its light dimming a bit as to not be so blindingly bright.

“It doesn’t… l-l- _look_ dangerous… in fact, it looks kinda… p-pretty!” He didn’t know why, but he was getting somewhat attracted to the gem. Nothing out of the ordinary had happened in his life thus far, in spite of having lived through two consecutive Dark Matter crises—so, in that light, it was no wonder he was feeling that way.

Nevertheless, his feelings were strong enough for him to willingly picked the Crystal Shard up. He tilted his head left and right, the shard held up to his eyes, before nodding in satisfaction. “W-Well, it’s—it’s not like it’ll hurt if I just—take it!” he affirmed to himself. “So… y-yeah! Maybe I can sh-show off it o-off or something…?”

While he was considering this course of action, something darkened on the floor behind him. It soon coalesced into a black sphere poking out of the ground—a sphere with a sinister eye staring at Bandana Dee.

_~~Dark Matter.~~ _

He didn’t immediately notice it, given that he was preoccupied with his latest catch. He _did,_ however, sense a malicious aura creeping up from behind him.

“Wh-Wh- _Who’s there!?”_ Feeling jumpy, he swiveled to face the disturbance—but instead found nothing of consequence.

“Was I… Was I imagining things…?”

While he was a little concerned, he tried to shrug things off and go back to admiring the Crystal Shard. That didn’t last long though, for he felt said traces of evil again shortly afterward.

Freshly agitated now, he juggled the gem between his hands, looking around for the _thing_ haunting him. “O-O-Okay, this isn’t funny anymore!” he stammered, sweat pouring down his head. “C-C-Come on out a-a-a-and _show yourself!”_

He couldn’t have known that his only crime was being at the wrong place at the wrong time. He couldn’t have known that the object in his hand was anything more than a simple cool and shiny gem.

And now, he was about to pay the price for it.

Finally, he managed to catch his stalker in the air—and his eyes immediately widened in horror.

“Oh no! I—I—I’ve seen you before…!”

The cloud of Dark Matter rocketed into the air, only to spiral back down toward Bandana Dee at lightning speed.

He flailed his arms around in panic and _screamed._

* * *

“And that’s four total Crystal Shards already under our belt!” Kirby grinned. Ribbon was trailing behind, the partially-restored Great Crystal in her hands. “Not too bad, if I do say so myself!”

The fairy was of a similar mood. “I didn’t think we’d find some this fast,” she admitted. “When all the pieces when flying, I expected they’d be further away from each other…”

About an hour or so had passed since the duo began their journey, and they had made a lot of progress in that time! They were good for each other, Kirby and Ribbon; he gave her a source of optimism and confidence, and she provided company while he traveled the lands.

“Eh, fate has a funny way of making sure things go relatively smoothly. Not that I’m complaining.” He spun around an explosive shuriken on his hand. “I’ve managed to figure out how to make Power Combos using my Copy Abilities, so it’s a win-win, in my opinion!”

She hummed happily as she handled her Crystal. “Power Combos, huh?”

Ribbon hadn’t expected anyone to be able to use Copy Abilities the way Kirby did. Sure, she _knew_ what Copy Abilities were—but to the best of her knowledge, you either had one or two, or not at all. (She was in the latter camp.) To see the puffball able to swap to multiple Copy Abilities, and even _mix them together…_

…well, she was glad she got him as a partner.

She giggled. “You’re really something else, Kirby. I don’t think there’s anyone else in the galaxy that’s like you.”

“I’d be surprised if there was! I mean, I’m only the biggest eater there is on Planet Pop Star!” He smiled ever wider, thoughts of food rushing through his mind. “You should see me doing a Gourmet Race sometime—when it comes to plowing through entire buffets in seconds flat, I’m _uncontested!”_

The fairy remembered how he seemed able to put anything inside his own mouth. “Yeah, I’d bet.”

In a way, Kirby reminded her of Queen Ripple. When it came to food, there was nothing else that could get her eyes to sparkle that much. Heck, half the time, she didn’t even bother with manners and just _devoured_ her meals whole. It was something her subjects never failed to be surprised by – save for Ribbon, the queen’s closest confidant.

Her smile froze a little, as she remembered the fate Queen Ripple was likely being subjected to.

_Oh, Your Majesty… hang in there, will you?_

_We’ll save you in time. I promise._

“So, any idea where the next Crystal Shard is?” Kirby asked. “It’s gotta be somewhere close by, knowing our luck.”

“Lemme see…” Ribbon held her Crystal up and let its magic wash over her. This way, the Crystal could act as a sort of radar for finding the others. It wasn’t perfect – it could get pretty imprecise with its directions – but it was better than nothing. “I think there should be another one a few yards ahead! Something’s weird, though… Th-That’s not the only thing I’m sensing…”

Suddenly, the duo heard a scream echo through the air. They looked at each other with startled expressions.

“Wh-Wh-What was _that!?”_ Ribbon queried, wide-eyed.

Kirby frowned. “I dunno… but we can’t just ignore it!” He sped up his pace, his fairy friend doing the same. They arrived at the nearby fenced-in zone as quickly as they could—right in time to see a Waddle Dee lying face down on the floor, motionless.

“It’s a… Waddle Dee! With a blue bandana!” the puffball said, surprise clear on his face. “Huh, never seen him before…”

“He must’ve been the source of the scream,” Ribbon surmised. “But why…?” She looked at the floor, and recoiled. “Wait, why is his shadow so large…!?”

Kirby followed her gaze. Indeed, a black circle was surrounding the Waddle Dee. In fact, it was even going _into_ the poor creature, if he was reading things right.

He knew where this was going. “Oh no…”

The Waddle Dee slowly got up, bringing his hands in front of his eyeless face. Kirby and Ribbon tensed as his whole body pulsed with darkness. “Wh-What’s going on!?” the fairy shouted.

“He’s been possessed by Dark Matter!” Kirby explained—“that means we’re gonna be in for a fight!”

The Waddle Dee spread out his arms—and an eyeball and two eyelashes _sprouted_ onto his face. Somehow, Dark Matter had transformed him into a Waddle Doo!

Kirby furrowed his brow and whipped out his explosive shurikens. _Strange, but nothing I can’t deal with. Let’s go!_

* * *

_Chaos flew by overhead._

_Peeking out near Dedede’s Tower in the Ice Mountains, Bandana Dee watched as Kirby and Gooey clashed with the forces of Dark Matter head-on._

_“W-W-_ Wow…!” _he breathed. His idols were pushing on through the storm, Love-Love Stick and Mock Matter forms in hand. Even from this distance, he could tell that they weren’t afraid at all—they were determined to end this crisis, come what may._

_Bandana Dee had spent most of the last few weeks hiding away from the bad guys and their possessed minions. He had gotten pretty good at sticking to the background, as loathe as he was to admit it – Dark Matter had even left him alone for the most part, being seemingly content to focus on the rest of the populace._

_He didn’t_ quite _know how to feel about that._

_~~(Relief? Frustration? It was all so very complicated…)~~ _

_But sitting here, looking up at the darkness in the sky—and the two lights shining within it…_

…I—I wanna be up there! With Kirby’s other friends, cheering him on…!

_He shook his head. “Wh-What am I thinking?” he muttered to himself. “They’d—They’d never accept me, j-just like th-that! I’m a complete stranger to them!”_

_He hadn’t really been a part of the restoration process; he hadn’t even been willing to step outside his comfort zone while this was going on! No amount of excuses could change that fact._

_And yet… didn’t people say that Kirby would accept anyone anyway? Make friends with whoever, wherever, whenever he wanted to?_

_…_

_…_

_He sighed. “I’ll… I’ll try for it later. It—It wouldn’t be any good if… if I went up to them h-here.” ~~~~_

_For now, though… he’d settle with simply watching everything happen from afar. Like he’d always done._

_~~It was… better than nothing.~~ _

* * *

~~~~Bandana Dee woke up.

The cloud of Dark Matter had expelled itself from his body, turning him back to normal.

 _I’m… I’m alive?_ he thought. _I… **didn’t** become a monster for all eternity?_

Vaguely, he could hear two voices—one sassy, one girly—cheering close to his position.

_“Ha ha! We sent that Dark Matter minion packing! High-five!”_

_“High-five!”_

He stumbled to his feet, shaking off the disorientation he was feeling. _“Ohhhhhhhhh…_ That was… That was t-t-t-t- _terrifying!”_ he muttered to himself with a shiver. “If—If I never have to do that again, th-that would be _great…”_

“Hey there, little buddy! You doin’ alright? It’s not every day Dark Matter decides to possess you, after all.”

Bandana Dee jolted. That voice… _Could it be…?_

He lifted his head to check—and lo and behold, there was Kirby, Hero of the Stars, smiling at him as brightly as humanely possible.

“WAH!” Bandana Dee leaped high into the air, unwittingly awing the two adventurers in front of him.

“Wow, what did you say to him, Kirby?” the pink-haired fairy wondered. “He looks like he’s seen a ghost!”

“I… said hello?” Kirby replied, tilting his head. “

“O-O-O-Omigosh!” the blue-wearing Dee chattered. “You’re Kirby! Kirby’s here, actually t-t- _talking_ to me!” His blush abruptly became several shades of red deeper. “This is—This is the best day of my _life…!”_

The fairy girl blinked. “I—I didn’t know you had a reputation on this planet…” she said, bewildered.

“It comes from dealing with Nightmare,” the puffball shrugged. “And Dark Matter. And Marx. And Dark Matter again. And doing that ‘Super Smash’ tournament thing.” (Huh… You know, when he put it that way, it was really amazing how much he’d accomplished in the last eight years alone.)

He turned to face Bandana Dee again. “Well, based on your reaction, I’m gonna guess you’re doing just fine. So, what’s your name? I’m Kirby—but you already knew that—and this is Ribbon.” The fairy waved a hand gleefully.

The Waddle Dee rubbed the back of his head. “I’m—I’m B-B-Bandana Waddle Dee, b-but you can call me B-Bandana Dee! I p-poke around here and there, and… y-yeah! That’s what I do!”

 _Ack!_ he internally panicked. _I—I just embarrassed myself! Noooooooo!_

Fortunately for him, Kirby took things in stride. “Not a very flattering job description,” he teased, “but I guess it’s not my place to judge. It’s nice to meet you, Bandana Dee!”

“Same here!” Ribbon said.

It was official: Bandana Dee was in heaven. He had died and gone to the Overthere; that was the only explanation for all of this.

“S-S-So!” he said, “wh-what are you doing today, K-Kirby? A-Aside from the whole—Dark Matter thing, I mean.”

“I’m glad you asked! See, Ribbon here needs to gather a bunch of Crystal Shards in order to save her home from eternal darkness and whatnot. They’re scattered all over the galaxy, so I’m helping her get all of them back.” He smiled. “It’s gonna be a long few weeks, but for a friend, I’m willing to handle it all!”

“You’re so brave…” Bandana Dee whispered. More dejectedly, he said, “I wish I could be like you… I—I didn’t even get a ch- _chance_ to fight Dark Matter…”

“Hey, I think you did as well as you could’ve, given the circumstances.”

“You were caught off-guard!” Ribbon chimed in. “The same thing could’ve happened to anyone. Besides,” she spun around him, “it’s okay to be a little scared. Ripple Star getting invaded was scary, but… I’m still here! That counts for something, right?”

That struck a rung with him. He couldn’t imagine what it was like to lose your home in such a way—and yet, here she was, trying to fix things however she could.

If she could keep fighting on against Dark Matter, then… he could do something too, right?

Something to help out on this latest crisis…?

He hummed. “I… I guess…”

Kirby yawned and stretched his limbs. “Well, we’ve gotta get back to business. Maybe we can hang out with each other after I’m done with everything.” He waved the guy goodbye as he started to trek toward the horizon. “See you later, Bandana Dee!”

“Don’t get caught up in any trouble!” Ribbon added, moving to follow her companion.

Bandana Dee hesitantly waved back, but then stopped. All his life, he’d wanted for somebody to give him courage—and now that he had, was he really going to let it return to the depths of his soul?

…

Surprisingly, it took him very little time to make his decision.

“H-Hey! I’m—I’m coming, too!” He ran over to the fence and hopped over it, joining the duo as they dashed to the next area.

Kirby raised his eyebrows. “Huh. You sure ‘bout that, Dee?” he gently questioned him. “It’s gonna be pretty dangerous out there.”

Ribbon nodded. “Yeah. That Dark Matter guy we beat, he’s not the only one we’ll be facing! A-At least, th-that’s what I’m suspecting.”

For once, Bandana Dee didn’t care. “I wanna go, anyway!” he asserted. “E-Even if I can’t fight a-all that well, I… I have to do this.” He stared directly into the pink puffball’s eyes, shining with a new resolution. “So please, take me with you!”

“Hmm…” Kirby and Ribbon glanced at one another, and smiled simultaneously at their newest member.

“Okey-dokey!” he grinned. “Welcome to the team, Bandana Dee! Let’s be good friends from now on, ‘kay?”

“K-Kay!” the accessory-wearing Dee replied. “I won’t let you down, I—I promise!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Aaaaaaand_ we’re back! Looks I _can_ still do fast turnover times! Heh heh.
> 
> As I’ve long alluded to (and shown), Bandana Dee was retconned into being the Waddle Dee from _Kirby 64,_ to help give some of his character more context. _Flying into the Fray_ showed him as too afraid and/or indecisive to reach out to Kirby on his own, which is why his meeting with the puffball here carries so much weight. Sometimes, you can find courage from the most unexpected of places—and its this impulse decision that’ll kickstart his Character Development.
> 
> Kirby _does_ have a habit of improving people just by being around them, after all. And hey, wouldn’t you love to go adventuring with a hero like him?
> 
> I’m gonna be skipping the battle sequences for all of Kirby’s companions, as you can see. I’m intending for this to be a shorter fic, so anything that’ll make this easier on me is appreciated. It also means I can spend more time making sure the fluff is up to snuff – so I hope this chapter feels comfortable enough.
> 
> Well, that’s all for now – tune in next time for everybody’s favorite painter girl! Yahoo!


	3. Let’s Paint a New Story!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The third Dark Matter crisis is in full swing, and like last time, Adeleine’s gotten caught up in it.
> 
> This time, though, she’s not gonna take things lying down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is set at the end of **Pop Star** ’s second stage.
> 
> ~~(Also, _whoops, Persona 5 Royal_ ate up all my free time—)~~

Adeleine was doing fine.

She had made friends with Kirby and the Animal Buddies, she had gotten comfortable living on Planet Pop Star, and she had tons of inspiration for her artistic endeavors.

In the two years since she had arrived here, she could honestly say she had never been happier.

While she was only a simple human girl—albeit a girl with the power to literally bring art to life—she got along well enough with everyone. They never disparaged her for her lack of fighting ability, and that was okay with her.

With the second Dark Matter crisis behind her, she was fully prepared to enjoy the peace and quiet that Dream Land was known for. There wasn’t anything more to worry about; it was just her, her friends, and the world at her fingertips.

What more could she ask for?

~~(Maybe some Dark Matter-detecting skills, for one…)~~

* * *

~~~~**Autumn Forest – Clearing**

The topography of Dream Land could be very fantastical, at times.

The Autumn Forest, aptly named for the time of year it depicted, was always littered with colorful leaves on the floor and in its trees. It was a fairly huge forest, so dense as to cloud one’s view of the distance from inside—but for one seeking to appreciate the artistically wonderful, it was a good locale to visit.

Hence why Adeleine was here today.

She was situated in the outer edges of the forest, standing atop a tree stump and painting on her canvas. She hummed a light melody as she went, relishing the feeling of the sun washing over her.

“It’s a good day for some painting,” she idly commented. “I feel like I could get a good number of ideas out today before I break for lunch.”

The artist had settled into a comfortable routine as of late: wake up, eat breakfast, maybe say hello to her friends, paint, eat lunch, relax, eat dinner… you get the idea. Sometimes things would be shaken up, like she would be asked to babysit Pitch or she’d be invited to watch a Gourmet Race – but overall, this was the way she spent her days.

It was nice. It was relaxing.

It was… her home.

As she continued to stroke with her paintbrush, her picture slowly coalesced into being. The outskirts of a forest, from the viewpoint of a bystander – she could make the image flourish like nobody else.

It didn’t take much longer before she was at last finished with it. She stepped back and nodded, satisfied with the result.

“Pretty good,” she said. “It’s not my greatest work, but there’s plenty of other ideas I can still do.”

She put the painting and replaced the canvas, moving to wondering about the next subject of her art. “Hmm…” she hummed, tapping her brush against her chin, “maybe I should paint Kirby next? He’s always happy to see himself drawn in any way… maybe I should do him in crayon, this time?”

As she continued to think, something fell past her shoulder.

She jumped in surprise. “Huh?” Her gaze darted around for a little bit, before coming to rest by her feet. There in her field of view was a Crystal Shard, rolling toward the edge of the stump. “What’s this?”

She reached down and picked it up. It glowed luminously with positive energy, feeling almost like… almost like…

“…a Heart Star?” she speculated aloud. It had a similar aura to the artifacts that Kirby had collected two years ago – and had defeated Zero with. She had even held on to one herself, before giving it to the puffball for his adventure.

“No, this is something different…” she muttered. “But… why did it fall out of the sky, then?”

She stared at it for a little bit longer, before casually shrugging things off. “Well, this is weird, but I guess I can just bring this to Kirby next time I see him. He’ll know what to do with it!” With her decision crystalized in her mind, she turned back to face her canvas—only to find a black smudge growing from the center. What’s worse, it was coalescing into a sphere poking out of it… a sphere with an eye baring menacingly on her.

Her eyes widened. **_“Dark Matter!?_** _You’re—You’re **alive!?”**_

She didn’t get the chance to do or say anything more, however—for the cloud of Dark Matter promptly barged straight into her face.

* * *

“Well, that was easy,” Kirby nonchalantly stated, he and his two other friends exiting a large, hollow tree stump. They had just secured their seventh Crystal Shard… though, not in the most epic of ways.

“Tell me about it…” Ribbon said. “That Mid-Boss barely did _anything._ All he did was bounce and bounce, even when we tried to talk to him.”

“Th-That’s good, i-isn’t it?” Bandana Dee chimed in. “I mean, we managed to s-swipe his Crystal Shard! I’m sure he—he doesn’t mind… much!”

Kirby took a moment to think about the Big Bouncy they had encountered. He wasn’t the brightest bulb in the box, that was for sure. “I’ll give him a week before he realizes anything’s changed,” he eventually replied.

Every little bit Ribbon saw of Pop Star served only to make her more captivated; it was the most ecologically diverse planet she had ever seen. (Though admittedly, that wasn’t much, considering the only other planet she knew was Ripple Star.) There certainly wasn’t any locale like the Autumn Forest back home – only Queen Ripple’s palace and the surrounding village.

Even Kirby and Bandana Dee hadn’t seen anything, and they’d been living in Dream Land for at least eight years.

Speaking of the two…

“Hey… are you doing okay, Dee?” Ribbon asked, fluttering around her second friend. “I don’t want you to feel too nervous, even though we’re both new at this…”

“U-Uh?” The scarf-wearing Waddle Dee jolted, before nodding enthusiastically in response (maybe a little _too_ enthusiastically). “Yyyyyyyeah! I’m doing a—a-okay!” He hopped up and down as they walked, an invisible smile on his face. “It’s a little nerve-wracking, d-doing stuff like rollin’ on a l-lift—but I can handle it! T-Totally! Totally totally!”

The pink-haired fairy raised an eyebrow, but didn’t disparage him. “I’ll take your word for it,” she said, deciding to sit atop her friend’s head. Somehow, the constant blush he wore deepened in color.

“I like this forest,” she idly mused—“it’s pretty colorful, even though it’s supposed to be spring. I’ve heard of evergreen forests, but never in reverse.”

“Ha! If you think this is cool, you should see what else we’ve got in store,” Kirby grinned. “We’ve got biomes for days! Raisin Ruins, Cushy Clouds, Nature’s Navel, Echo’s Edge—there’s a little something for everybody, no matter what their shape or size! …or element.” He proceeded to mutter something unflattering about a ‘Kracko’.

It didn’t escape Ribbon’s notice that all those names were alliterative. “That’s a lot of… same letter-ness,” she remarked. “Is that a tradition ‘round here?”

“You could say that!” he chuckled. “I’m just excited to be able to travel to these new locations with you guys. There’s a whole galaxy waiting for us, and I can’t _wait_ to see ‘em!”

 _(Me neither,_ the fairy thought.)

As the trio of heroes continued on, the sun finally began to shine through the leaves above—and the plains beyond through the trunks ahead. All three of them brightened at the sight—Ribbon especially, what with her radar sensing another Crystal Shard nearby.

The three party members sped up their pace, eventually getting to feel the warm sunlight wash over them again. As they approached the collectible’s predicted position, a figure suddenly appeared on the tree stump in front of them. It was a figure Kirby would recognize anywhere (them being a friend, and all).

He stopped to wave at the artist. “Hey, Adeleine!” he greeted. “It’s been a while!”

Behind him, Ribbon and Bandana Dee looked at each other in confusion.

“Umm… Dee, do you know who this Adeleine is?” the fairy raised the question.

“N-No… But if she’s one of Kirby’s f-friends, she can’t be bad, r-right?” He said that with trepidation, though; he didn’t know why, but… something about this situation was giving him bad vibes.

And as it turned out, Kirby could sense said vibes too. When the aquamarine-clad girl didn’t reply, instead just facing the ground, he scrunched up his face in concern and continued, “Uhh… Adeleine? Are you alright? It’s me, Kirby. Y’know, your food-lovin’ friend…?”

This seemed to garner some sort of a response—but unfortunately, it wasn’t the type of response the puffball would’ve liked. An aura of darkness emanated from her body, making the trio reel back in horror.

“…oh, crap,” Ribbon said.

“W-W- _Wah!? A-Again!?”_ Bandana Dee panicked.

“Well, isn’t _this_ an ironic twist of events…” Kirby muttered. He tensed up, hoisting a drill head onto his hand. “Get ready, guys! We’re gonna have to knock the Dark Matter outta her!”

The possessed Adeleine brought her head up… and revealed a nasty smile, accompanied by a sharp glare.

“…yep, that’s definitely Dark Matter!”

* * *

_“Yummy, yummy. I like this food in my tummy.”_

_“Mmm… you said it, Gooey!” Kirby said, his voice a little muffled from the cake in his mouth. “There’s almost nothing better than having lunchtime with your friends!”_

_This was an… interesting scene, to say the least._

_Here in the Ice Mountains, Kirby and co. were having a good old-fashioned picnic (no matter how unfitting the weather was for such an event.) Adeleine, the one who brought said picnic to life, was staring at the puffball – who was currently surrounded by about half-a-dozen slices of strawberry shortcake._

_“Umm… Kirby, don’t you think that’s… a little too much dessert to eat?” she asked, biting her lip in curiosity._

_“Nope!” He said it so quickly, it almost gave her whiplash. “If you think this is a lot, then you haven’t seen_ anything _yet!” He finished his current plate and moved another one into range. “Here goes shortcake number six!”_

_And just like that, he got back to devouring more cakes than anyone should feasibly be able to handle._

_If Adeleine didn’t know any better, she wouldn’t have believed he was on an adventure to save the world at all._

_“…man, I’m so jealous right now.”_

_The puffball stopped eating to look at Adeleine. “Hmm?”_

_“You’re so carefree and smiley all the time. What’s your secret? I mean, I couldn’t even fight you without my hands shaking.”_

_He took a moment to think, before shrugging casually. “I… just am. I’ve never really been one to let any fears override my sense of adventure. I suppose having experience with this kind of stuff helps too, but—all you honestly need to do is believe in yourself.” He smiled. “Trust me, it goes a long way."_

_“Believe in myself…” she repeated. “Can it really be that simple?”_

_“Well, it works for me, doesn’t it? So obviously, it can’t be that hard!”_

_Adeleine considered this._

_Then, she giggled._

_“I guess that’s true, huh…?”_

_Leave it to Kirby to know the right thing to say every time._

* * *

Adeleine held a hand to her forehead, shaking it in disorientation.

 _What… What happened…?_ she wondered. _The last thing I remember is getting ready to paint another picture… and now I’m against a tree stump…?_

“Oh, thank goodness! You’re okay!”

She blinked.

There were three people looking over her—Kirby, a Waddle Dee, and a pink-haired fairy. The voice, she could tell, had come from the latter; notably, she was holding a crystal much like the one the artist had found earlier.

“…Kirby? What’s going on?”

The puffball grinned. “Oh, you know, just Dream Land things. More importantly, though—” He spread his arms out. “I made some new friends! Ribbon and Bandana Dee! C’mon, you two, say hello!”

The orange Waddle Dee—wearing a blue bandana on his head, like his name indicated—jolted, and then shyly waved at her with a brilliant blush. “H-Hi! I-I’m—I’m Bandana Dee! I like apple juice!” He paused. “…it’s good for you!”

“I’m Ribbon,” the pink-haired fairy smiled, “and I come from Ripple Star! My planet got invaded and its Great Crystal shattered—” Her lips twitched, ever so imperceptibly “—so we’re on a quest to put it back together and save my home!”

It said something about Pop Star that Adeleine took that well in stride. “Oh. Is… that why I got possessed by Dark Matter?” She pouted. “And after I spent all of two years ago successfully dodging the thing like a curse?” _I was pretty proud of that, too!_

“Wouldn’t you know it,” Kirby said. “Sorry I couldn’t get here any faster. I didn’t think Dark Matter would work that fast…”

The artist sighed. “Well, it’s okay… I barely even remember being possessed, and you’ve got the Great Crystal piece you came here for—right?” Kirby nodded. “Right. Still, though…”

She balled her hands into fists and adopted a determined expression of her own. “…that doesn’t mean I’m letting them get the better of me! If you’re going on another adventure, then take me with you!”

Kirby’s eyes twinkled, seeing his friend’s resolve. “Heh heh… you’ve grown a lot since we first met each other. If you want to join us, then who am I to say no?”

“More travelling companions? I guess I’m not too remiss to the idea,” Ribbon said. “I think you’ll be a good addition, if your painting skills are any indication.”

“Oh! Oh, y-yeah! They were—They were out of this w- _world!”_ Bandana Dee said, waving his arms about in exaggerated fashion. “I’ve never seen a-anyone who can paint like you… c-can you paint… _food…?”_

Adeleine nodded—that was a question she wasn’t unused to. “I’ve made many a picnic for Kirby and his friends. Here, you said you liked apple juice, right?” She grabbed her paintbrush and re-summoned her canvas. A picture of a box of apple juice soon came into being, and the little Waddle Dee cherished it as if it were the Animal Buddies finally getting another Heart Star after half an hour of ~~(attempting to)~~ figuring things out.

“It’s… **_beautiful…”_**

“Wow, he’s totally enamored,” Kirby laughed. “You can really see that sparkle in his eyes!”

“Don’t forget, Kirby—you’re the same,” Adeleine interjected with a teasing grin. “How many times have you lit up whenever you get some strawberry shortcake, again…?”

“Strawberry shortcakes are the greatest and I stand by that!”

_“Apple juice…”_

Ribbon was pretty impressed, too. _She’s a real artist, huh…? I—I’ve never considered myself an artistic person, but… somehow, I can’t look away from her smile._

_You know, if this is the way things are going to go, then I think I’m fine with that._

Then, she noticed her Great Crystal glowing again—and noticed a huge castle in the distance, practically waiting to have its secrets uncovered. She pointed a small finger at it. “Guys, I’m picking up some more Crystal Shards over there!”

“Really?” Kirby briefly brought a hand over his eyes to see, before nodding in self-satisfaction. “Well, can’t say I’m not surprised at the location this time. All we need is Dedede and then we’re set!” He hopped to his feet and began to run. “C’mon, guys—I’ll race you to the next one!”

To her credit, Adeleine got to chasing him without losing her breath. “Don’t think I’m gonna lose just ‘cause you can do anything! Get back here!”

“Wah! G-Guys, wait up!”

“Sheesh, they move fast…!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> She’s still painting, y’all.
> 
> Adeleine’s been in a much better place since _Intro to Painting:_ she’s much more confident in herself, and she has an actual support base with Kirby and co. Her incentive to jump into adventure is less on-the-fly than Bandana Dee’s; she believes she can help, and so there she goes.
> 
> This chapter is meant to further establish the Crystal Shard crew’s dynamics, foreshadowing the beginning of Adeleine and Ribbon’s relationship and Bandana Dee steadily becoming more of a friend. It’s small, given how this is only the first world out of six thus far, but it should be an interesting treat for long-time fans of this ‘verse.
> 
> Well, that’s all for now – tune in next time for our fifth and final party member, King Dedede!
> 
> …oh, and happy 28th birthday, Kirby. May your stars keep shining bright.


	4. A Hidden Heart of Gold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> King Dedede could be abrasive, arrogant, certainly unlikeable at times—
> 
> But he’d be danged if he was gonna let Dark Matter trample all over _his_ kingdom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is set at the end of **Pop Star** ’s third stage.

**Cinnamon Castle – Rooftop**

There were many ruins scattered about Planet Pop Star, remnants of an age nobody could remember existing.

This castle in particular—a large fortress devoid of any proper furnishings—wasn’t typically one of King Dedede’s usual haunts. It was old and empty and just—not regal enough for a regent of his caliber.

But it was a nice place for him to assert his dominance, so he’d take it.

 _Besides,_ he thought to himself— _this is **my** kingdom, so I get to do whatever the heck I want!_

_And there’s nothing anyone can do about it!_

Yeah, Dedede was… a curious individual, to put it lightly. Every moment of his life was dedicated to one of various things: clobbering Kirby, ‘ruling’ his kingdom, gouging on food, being super-duper lazy… you get the picture. If it wasn’t for the fact that he wasn’t actively malicious, he probably would’ve been kicked out as king a long time ago.

Unfortunately (or fortunately?) for them, that wasn’t the case – so here he stood, watching over _his_ Dream Land. Like a… like a… _sentinel in the night_ (or whatever it was that Meta Knight did half the time)!

…that sounded cooler in his head, but whatever!

It’s not like anyone was listening to his inner monologuing!

“Finally, some peace and quiet,” he sighed. “No annoying puffballs, no crazy sky shadows… just me and the cool spring breeze.” He slouched against the fencing on the roof, appearing relaxed for the first time in a long while. “Exactly what I need after goin’ through so many losses.”

The past few years had been… rough, to say the least. His attempts to defeat his Eternal Nemesis had bore no fruit; his subjects _still_ didn’t respect him at all; and to top it all off, his kingdom was constantly under siege from… well, _everything!_ Nightmare, Dark Matter, Meta Knight… even that jester Marx had decided to take a crack at taking over the world himself!

_Marx!_

The guy who was otherwise more obsessed in pranking everybody to _bits!_

And of course, **Kirby** had been the one to stop him—him and all the other major threats to Planet Pop Star. On one hand, yes, Dedede was (begrudgingly) grateful to his rival for stopping the brigade of baddies – but on the other, he was sick and tired of not being able to do anything substantial while that no-good ‘Hero of the Stars’ soaked up all the credit!

“If that pesky puffball shows his face in front of me again, I am _not_ going easy on him,” he grumbled. “Today’s a good day; I refuse to let him ruin this one for me, too.”

As the not-quite Great King continued to stew over his own thoughts, a Crystal Shard fell down from the sky behind him. He whirled around in the blink of an eye, easily spotting the glowing gem sitting innocuously on the floor. His face scrunched up in confusion.

“Whuh? The heck is this?”

He waltzed over to the shard and picked it up—it felt a lot like happiness and good thoughts, interestingly enough.

Dedede grinned. “Looks like it’s my lucky day! The clockwork stars are smiling down on me!” Finally, after eight years of being the galaxy’s chew-toy, he was getting a break!

“Heh—this’d look pretty good on the countertop next to my bed! It might even serve as a good luck charm, if all goes well!”

As he was gloating loudly to himself, however, a trickle of voices began to make themselves known from the nearby entrance. He stopped and stared at said area—and then narrowed his eyes in annoyance.

“Speaking of luck… I think now’s a good time to test that for myself!”

* * *

“Jeez, who _made_ this castle? I can already tell it wasn’t Dedede; it’s _way_ too sprawling for someone like him.”

From within Cinnamon Castle, the Crystal Shard quartet were going a winding staircase, filled with concrete blocks about as tall as Kirby. In the center of the cylindrical room was a large fountain, creating a pool of water at the bottom—and notably, the flowing stream was even generating little multi-colored stars, rising up and into the air.

“Who knows?” Adeleine shrugged, taking things nicely in stride. “It’s a pretty fascinating place, though—this room alone’s giving me plenty of inspiration for paintings.”

“Ooh, already?” he teased. “I swear, every time I see you, you’ve got something in mind for that paintbrush of yours.”

“Well, I am an artist! It’s in my nature to find beauty anywhere and everywhere.”

Ribbon furrowed her brow. “Anywhere and everywhere, she says…” _I wonder what it’s like to see that for myself…_

As the crew traversed ever higher, even climbing up a chain to reach the next floor, Kirby made sure to get some practice using his new dual-bladed lightsaber—and yes, that was an _actual_ lightsaber in his hand. Ribbon and Bandana Dee were utterly enthralled at his swinging the thing around; even beyond the obvious pop culture reference, it was just a really cool thing to have.

“I still c-can’t believe you managed to mix that together,” the orange Waddle Dee said, dutifully following behind his friend. “I thought that y-you could only use more g-generalized abilities, or something…”

“To be fair, so did I,” the puffball shrugged. “I’m certainly not complaining, though – it’s fun, getting to experiment this much!”

His companion raised a hand to the air and waved it about in agreement. “I can definitely see that! I—I mean, who _doesn’t_ like lightsabers?” He beamed. “S-So long as you have that, I think, then—then you’ll be **_unstoppable!”_**

“I wouldn’t say unstoppable,” Ribbon chimed in, “but I think that’s as close a description as we’re gonna get.” She hovered ahead and noticed a long chain bolted to the ground, leading all the way up to the ceiling—where a hole waited for them to enter.

Her Great Crystal began to react, alternatively glowing on and off the closer they got to the glorified ladder. “We’re coming up on the eleventh Crystal Shard, everybody! There’s probably gonna be another fight waiting for us, knowing our luck, so don’t let your guard down!”

Adeleine nodded. “Gotcha,” she replied, putting her paintbrush by her ear like a pencil. “I’ve got my palette and my canvas ready to go, so don’t be afraid to ask me for food when you need it!”

“Don’t have to tell me twice!” Kirby deactivated his saber and jumped onto the chain, inching upward toward what could only be the roof. “Right—let’s see who or what awaits us up top!”

“Y-Yeah! And if they wanna t-try and stop us, w-we’ll just have to show them the _power of the **lightsaber!!!”**_

On ground level, the artist and the fairy couldn’t help but giggle at Bandana Dee excitedly shouting this to the wind, even pumping a fist into the air as he paused mid-climb. They gave an amused glance at one another.

“We’ve gotten swept up in one heck of a wild ride, huh?” Adeleine remarked.

“You’re telling me,” said the grinning pink-haired girl. “Those two are like the siblings I never had – though, maybe without the whole sibling dynamic… probably…”

“Siblings, eh? I wouldn’t mind being a sister myself!” she laughed.

* * *

Kirby poked his head above the surface.

He moved his gaze left and right.

Were there any enemies around to ambush him?

…

…

…

Nope.

Were there any enemies _ahead_ of him?

…

…uh.

Why was there a large shadow towering over him?

_“Take this, ya oversized gumball!”_

Abruptly, a hammer slammed into Kirby and sent him bouncing across the castle roof. He let out a sharp wail as he slid to a stop, alarming the trio of friends still rising up the chain.

**_“Kirby!”_ **

Bandana Dee, Adeleine, and Ribbon scrambled to the top, rushing over to Kirby as fast as possible. Thankfully, the puffball was okay; he was laying on the floor face-first, but otherwise, he was uninjured.

“Ugh… That smarts…” He got up without missing a beat, reactivating his Power Combo-created weapon and spinning it around in the air.

“Are—Are you alright!?” the headscarf-wearer panicked, looking over his newfound friend in a frenzy. “Are you hurt, or scratched, or bleeding, or, or—or _anything!?”_

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” he reassured him. “Just a little disoriented… no thanks to a certain somebody.” He raised a pointed glare at a figure standing opposite from him. The rest of the Crystal Shard crew followed his stare… and Adeleine immediately adopted a deadpan expression the moment she saw who he was.

“Oh. Of course. It’s Dedede. Dedede’s the one who attacked you first thing.” She sighed. “Why am I not surprised?”

The ungracious king puffed out his chest and beat it with a fist. “That’s _King_ Dedede to you, girlie! Don’t you know how to respect your elders!?”

“I’m sorry, which elder are you talking about?” Kirby snarked. “‘Cause I’m not seeing anyone to respect at the moment.”

“Why you…!”

Ribbon was perturbed at ‘King’ Dedede’s less-than-professional behavior – it was a far cry from Queen Ripple, who at least knew how to act in front of those she wasn’t close to. She turned to Bandana Dee, perplexed, and asked— _“Th-That’s_ your _king?_ The king of _Dream Land???”_

The little Dee nervously laughed. “Y-Yep… That’s His Majesty… He’s, uh, quite the ruler, i-isn’t he?”

“Understatement of the century,” Adeleine muttered. “Guess we caught him on one of his bad days. I think. It’s kind of hard to tell what’s a ‘good day’ and a ‘bad day’ for him.”

The Ripple Star fairy bit her lip. _Still… something like this **shouldn’t** be normal—right? A king should be wise and caring, not trying to pick fights with the nicest guy I know!_

_What does he have against him?_

_~~(Is he… **jealous** , or something…?)~~ _ ~~~~

Kirby pointed his lightsaber at his rival, a frown sitting distinctly on his face. “What are you even doing here, Dedede?” he asked. “This doesn’t seem like your type of place—actually, I’d expect you to be at your castle instead!”

“Sometimes a guy needs a break from all your nonsense,” he handwaved, “so I came here on a whim. Good thing, too… ‘cause I just got me a brand-new good luck charm!” He held up his recent acquisition for the party to see—and naturally, they were taken aback.

The Hero of the Stars narrowed his eyes. “The Crystal Shard!”

 _“Wah!_ He—He got to it _before_ us!?”

“Looking for this, aren’t ya?” the so-called king maliciously grinned. “Sorry, but you can’t have it! It fell in my domain, so therefore, it belongs to _me!_ And now that I’ve got it—” He hoisted his hammer over his shoulder and swung it menacingly. “—I won’t have any trouble beating the crap outta you, Kirby!”

“Oh, you can try!” The puffball’s feet turned into blurs, and he shot at the king with dual-bladed sword in hand. In response, Dedede bounded toward his Eternal Nemesis with a deadly smirk. The two seemed destined to once again continue their incredibly one-sided rivalry—

—and then a blob of darkness crashed into them, sending them spiraling away from each other.

Startled, the three onlookers could only stare as Dark Matter made its presence known to everyone. Cries of _“Oh no!”_ and _“Are they **stalking** us!?”_ filled the air.

Dedede rose up off the ground, and proceeded to go stark white in terror. _“Are you freaking kidding me!?”_ he shrieked, flailing his limbs about with his irises shrunken to the size of dots. _“Why won’t you leave me alone!?”_

That was as far as he got, however, for the dark being brought him into the sky and possessed him soon after.

By this point, Kirby was just flat-out _exhausted._ As he watched Dark Matter surround the king in an aura of darkness, all he could say was…

 _“…again,_ Dedede!? _**Really!?”**_

* * *

_“You’d better give me my body back, if you know what’s good for ya!”_

_A voice—tired and confused—screamed out into the void beyond._

_“Are you hearin’ me, you black-masked freak!? Lemme outta here!”_

_From the presumed center of the area, the owner of the voice—King Dedede—stood with his fist raised to the air, shaking it in fury._

_“Do you think you’re better than me!? Better than the_ king!? **Do ya!?”**

 _He’d been stuck in here for days now. It might’ve even been a_ week, _for all he knew._

_A week of having no idea what was going on in the outside world; a week of his body being commanded by somebody else without his consent…_

_…_

_He’d never say this out loud, but…_

_…the idea of that happening terrified him to his bones._

_That was why he was here, venting his frustrations however he could._

_~~It was~~ _ ~~something _to do, at least._~~

_“Well, I’ll have you know—I’m not gonna take that kind of insult lying down!”_

_…_

_…_

_…_

_At first, there wasn’t any response to his demands._

_A cold, uneasy silence blew through the darkness._

_It actually made Dedede hesitate, just a little._

_And then…_

**_“How noisy…”_ **

_An eyeball opened up in the background—an absolutely_ ginormous _eyeball, too, casting one hell of a shadow over the suddenly shaking regent._

 _“Eep…!”_ ~~I’ve made a terrible mistake…~~

**_“You are becoming an irritant. Your consciousness should have been silenced when I entered your body… and yet, you remain here, pointlessly trying to rebel against the inevitable.”_ **

_“O-O-Of course I’d rebel against_ you!” _the stout penguin retorted, desperately trying to control his rampant fear. “You’re the one who’s trespassing in_ my _territory, b-buddy!”_

Who does he think he is, talking to me like that…!?

 ** _“You are angry, I see… What a meaningless construct.”_** _The…_ thing _stared at Dedede with a bored expression—something that got the latter’s blood pumping furiously. **“You should be grateful at the opportunity I am providing for you. You will no longer have to endure the burden of your inefficient emotions. You will have purpose, direction—a worthier fate than that of a lowly king. Is that not something you have been seeking?”**_

_…_

_“Sorry, but I don’t make deals with creeps like you!” he replied, after a brief moment of silence. “I’ll get outta here eventually, and then, you’re in for a world of hurt!”_ ~~And as much as I hate to admit it…~~ _“If not from me… then from **Kirby!** ”_

_He closed his eyes and grit his teeth._

_“He may be my rival, but—but I know he’s more than willing to break your unsightly face in half! Your days are numbered, y’hear!?”_

**_“Hmph. Simpleton. If you wish to suffer as you are… so be it. This planet will not survive for much longer, anyway. This… ‘Kirby’ will fall, like everyone else in this galaxy – and then, my king will show you your rightful place.”_ ** _The eye began to close, a sign that he was returning to the real world. **“I don’t understand you. Wanting to defeat him, yet wishing for him to defeat me… it is baffling.”**_

 _Dedede did nothing more than levy the harshest glare he could at him._ Yeah, yeah, keep sayin’ all your nonsense…

If I’m gonna clobber Kirby, it’ll be with my own hands. Not yours!

And it’ll be **without** sacrificing my morals and my honor, too!

~~That’s what I promised to myself, long ago!~~

* * *

Dedede groaned and stumbled to his feet.

“Your—Your Majesty! A-Are you okay!?”

Bandana Dee helped him along, keeping him steady as he rose.

Once he was upright again, the self-proclaimed regent slouched. He grumbled something incoherent.

“You _are_ okay! That’s great! W-Well, the possession thing w-wasn’t great, but—y-you get what I mean!”

 _Grr… I was caught off-guard **again,**_ he internally grumbled, ignoring the Waddle Dee’s stammering. _And I had to be saved by Kirby. **Again.**_

_I’m not having a good day anymore._

_It’s a bad day now. A bad day._

_Just another bad day in a never-ending sea of ‘em._

**_Ugh._ **

He watched as his hated nemesis and his new fairy companion cheered at their victory, accompanied by that artist girl that kept hanging around the former. They looked barely winded, indicating to him that he (or rather, his possessed body) hadn’t given the crew much of a fight.

(This didn’t provide any comfort at all.)

“Phew! Another Crystal Shard secured!” Kirby said, putting away his light show of a sword. “How many more left to go, Ribbon?”

“I think there’s one more we haven’t found yet,” the fairy answered—“at least, on this planet. My Crystal’s sensing something in the direction of that forest.” She pointed at the aforementioned area in the distance, right over the horizon. “After that, I think it’ll be time to move on.”

Adeleine hummed. “That’s the Great Forest—the place where our Animal Buddies live.” She brought her paintbrush’s tip to her chin and gave a little smile. “I guess it’s only natural that we’d end up back there, while all this is going on.”

Bandana Dee took a few steps forward in curiosity. “The—The Animal Buddies h-helped you two out during the last couple c-crises, right? Then maybe th-they could help us out _this time,_ too!”

“Maybe,” the pink puffball replied. “Even if they don’t, it’ll definitely be nice to see them again. I know they’d be happy to meet you two,” he grinned at both Ribbon and Bandana Dee, _“and_ I’ve got a ton of new abilities to show off to them! What more could I need?”

 ** _“Hey!”_** Dedede barked. _“Stop ignoring me, you pesky puffball!_ I’m your king; _listen to me!”_

The quartet stopped their conversation to stare at the annoyed regent. “Oh. Right,” the artist deadpanned. “You’re still here.”

“Of course I am!” he shouted. “Where else would I be, on the Rainbow Islands!?”

“Wow. With a response like that, you’re definitely back to normal,” Kirby noted, rather nonchalant about his nemesis’s outburst. “Not sure if that’s a relief, or something to be irritated about.” He sighed. “Alright. What do you want, Dedede? If you wanna talk to us, now’s the best time you’re gonna get.”

Dedede crossed his arms. “Well, what I _would_ like is to get some respect ‘round here, but I can clearly see that’s not happening.” He huffed. “Not like you’d understand—everybody loves you, Kirby. You _and_ artist girl over there.”

“That’s because we actually make an effort to be good people,” he replied, much more sympathetically. “To be accommodating, empathetic—a **friend** , basically. You, on the other hand… you’re always trying to throw your weight around, holding a grudge against me for the most roundabout reasons. It wouldn’t take a whole lot for you to be happier, y’know—you just need to… be better!”

“And by that, we mean stop being so abrasive,” Adeleine snorted. “And arrogant, and overall unpleasant. I don’t _mind_ you, but you… you make it difficult to even do _that,_ especially when you pull off stunts like that ambush.”

The king scrunched up his face. _That_ sounded familiar.

 _“What else am I supposed to do?”_ he mumbled, barely able to be heard. _“I can’t defeat him any other way…”_

Kirby and Adeleine glanced at each other.

Bandana Dee shifted uncomfortably, before he went and spoke up. “Y-Your Majesty, is—is this about your self-esteem, by any chance? ‘C-Cause that’s what it feels like to me…”

“Gurk! Wh-What are you talking about!?” he demanded, spluttering in total shock. “This—This has nothing to do with that, believe me! I am _perfectly_ fine with everything that’s been happening! Uh-huh! No worries at all!”

Ribbon stared intently at him. _…I think I’m getting a better idea of what Dedede’s like,_ she thought.

_He’s… got a rough exterior, but beneath that’s an insecure guy who only wants to feel important. He can’t always figure out how to do that, but he’s certainly trying._

_…I wonder if he’d be able to grow past his anxieties if he had someone to confide in._

_Just a thought…_

It seemed that Kirby had a similar idea to Ribbon, for he decided to throw out a little offer. “Y’know… we’ve still got an entire journey left to go, and it’d be nice if we had a fifth member to round out our Crystal-hunting crew,” he said. “I know you’ve been pretty aggravated over Dark Matter, so—why not join us? I’m not picky!”

“Y-Yeah!” his Waddle Dee friend chimed in. “You’d be a g-great teammate to have, I—I think! Th-There’s no harm in coming…!”

Dedede hesitated.

…

…

…

_…what._

“Join your party…? As in, team up with _you…?_ Wh-Wh-Why the heck would I do _that!?”_ he spat back. “You’re my rival! My eternal nemesis! That’s like asking me to eat Superspicy Curry willingly!” He turned away from them and stomped his foot on the floor. “It—It doesn’t matter what you say, there’s no way in heck I’m going through with that crap!”

“…if you say so,” Kirby said finally—sounding unconvinced at his answer, but choosing not to contest it any further.

“We should head off, then,” Ribbon said. “That last Crystal Shard isn’t gonna collect itself!”

Adeleine nodded. “Yeah.” The trio of friends, after taking one last look at Dedede, went and hopped over the castle railings.

That left him and Bandana Dee alone. By themselves.

The regent waited for Bandana Dee to follow them. Why wouldn’t he?

He wasn’t one of _his_ Waddle Dees. He didn’t have anything to do with him.

…so why was he still here?

“U-Umm…” He shuffled closer to Dedede and gulped. “I… I want to say you’re—you’re not as bad a person as people th-think you are. That you’re more than a guy who—who likes to steal everybody’s food.

“You can be good, l-like Kirby said! You’re strong, you don’t let anyone w-walk over you, you do your best to p-protect Pop Star in your own way…

“I—I look up to you, a-actually. I look up to you a lot. Y-You’re not perfect, but—but nobody is. And—more people p-probably would do the same if… you tried a little more. To _be_ their king. Th-That’s what I think, anyway.”

He stood up straighter. “Okay. I—I gotta go now. S-See you later, Your Majesty!”

 _Then_ Bandana Dee left for the Great Forest.

King Dedede frowned.

 _Is that really all they have left to say…?_ he thought. _Empty platitudes and nothing else?_

_Hah! That’s just what I expected from nuisances like them._

_…_

_But…_

_Kirby… Adeleine… I don’t want to say it, but… they weren’t hostile, or anything._

_And that Waddle Dee… he said he **looked up to me.** Like, genuinely idolized me._

_Even after seeing me get possessed by Dark Matter for the umpteenth time… his opinion didn’t change._

_Isn’t that what I’ve wanted all this time?_

_Somebody who actually supported me?_

_~~Even **if** that person is also involved with Kirby…?~~ _

One more thought also permeated his mind:

If he didn’t do anything here… then he might as well have given Dark Matter the towel.

They were disrupting his peace. They had repeatedly harassed his kingdom.

And finally… they had outmaneuvered him for far too long.

_Grr… Grrrrrrrrrrr… **Grrrrrrrrrrr…!**_

_Right! That’s it! No more Mr. Nice Dedede!_

_I’m **done** sitting around and laying on my butt!_

* * *

The quartet of heroes was a good distance away from Cinnamon Castle, now – and moreover, a good distance away from King Dedede’s shenanigans. Despite that, Ribbon couldn’t get her analysis of Dedede’s character out of her head.

“Do you think he’s gonna just leave things at that?” she asked, as the group continued on their way.

Kirby went silent for a bit. “No,” he answered. “I’ve known Dedede for eight years. He doesn’t like to let a grudge go unaddressed. And he certainly doesn’t like being upstaged.”

“Considering how he was possessed for most of two adventures, I can’t blame him,” Adeleine stated, tapping the eraser side of her pencil against the notebook. “If he doesn’t go through with this, though… then I guess that’ll be it. That’d… be a shame, honestly.”

Bandana Dee breathed in, and breathed out. “I hope he’ll do the r-right thing, in the end,” he said. “He’s supposed to be a k-king, so…”

The crew left things off at that. There wasn’t much else they could say.

For a moment, they trekked onward in silence.

And then…

Loud footsteps started to echo from afar, getting closer and closer to their ears.

“Can—Can it be…?” the little Dee said, sounding almost hopeful.

Kirby smiled. _Of course._

He turned around and gave off a sassy smirk. “You sure changed your mind quickly,” he teased his long-time nemesis as he approached with hammer slung over his shoulder. “What, was all of that bravado for show?”

“Shaddup, ya prick,” he grumbled. “I just got tired of you hogging all the glory. It’s way past time I teach Dark Matter a lesson myself!” He levied a glare at the quartet – not in malice, but with resolve. “You want me to join? Fine. Fine, I’ll do it. But don’t mistake this for me wanting to be your friend or anything!”

Bandana Dee brightened up. “O-O-O-Okay, then! Welcome aboard, Your Majesty!”

Adeleine was relatively accepting of this, too. However… “If we’re going to do this though,” she said, “you’ve gotta play nice with everyone. Got it?” She pointed her pencil at him sternly. “That means no beating Kirby up, or treating us as trash, or—being a bad person, basically!”

“You don’t have to worry ‘bout that,” he dismissed—“I’m already perfect, after all! There’s no ‘bad person-ness’ in my veins!”

“…somehow, that doesn’t reassure me at all.”

Kirby’s smirk evolved into an outright grin. “So long as you’re able to work with us, I think we’ll be fine. Now, c’mon! We’ve got a Great Forest to get to—and a reunion party, too!”

“Yeah!” Ribbon agreed, her Great Crystal glowing ever brighter. “Let’s make this an adventure to remember, everyone! We can do this!”

The two of them sped up their pace, and the other three crew members followed suit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Dedede, it’s been eight years since _Kirby’s Dream Land,_ and it’ll be eight years more until _Revenge of the King._ Timeline-wise, this is where his Character Development really starts to kick in—and though I won’t really be able to show the full effects of that over the course of this adventure, what’s already here _should_ line up pretty well with what’s to come for him.
> 
> After two adventures’ worth of him getting blindsided by Dark Matter (they really seem to have it out for him, huh?), I imagine Dedede’s patience has been eroded to the point where he’s willing to get off his lazy butt and actually go on a quest to vanquish them once and for all. And if that means uniting with Kirby, then so be it.
> 
> ‘Course, we all know that it’s not just his frustration at work here – beneath his abrasive exterior _does,_ in fact, lie a hidden heart of gold. He may not have it in him to consider the Crystal Shard crew his friends yet – but it’s a start, and that’s what matters in the end.
> 
> The _Dream Land 2_ flashback featuring Dedede and Dark Matter Blade conversing was inspired by [the Gooey/Dark Matter doujin](https://shinytranslations.tumblr.com/post/141980444574) by ニトロウ. I especially like how it portrays Dark Matter as a whole, which I borrowed a bit for this ‘verse. It’s a really good character study, so you should check it out!
> 
> …also, I have no idea if the castle in Pop Star’s third stage actually belongs to Dedede or not, so—in this ‘verse, it doesn’t. It’s simply a castle he semi-likes to hang out in. It also has a food-based name, because why not? Pop Star seems to like that kind of thing.
> 
> Well, that’s all for now – tune in next time for the conclusion of this little story!


	5. The Gang’s All Here!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All the Crystal Shards on Pop Star have been collected—but Kirby and co.’s journey is only just beginning. What awaits them out there in the greater Gamble Galaxy?
> 
> The crew can’t wait to find out!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is set during and after **Pop Star** ’s boss stage.

**Great Forest – Clearing**

Ribbon couldn’t have been happier.

Okay, that was a lie. She’d be pretty happy if Dark Matter hadn’t invaded Ripple Star to begin with.

But… then she might’ve never had met Kirby, or any of her new friends.

And she certainly wouldn’t have ever known how beautiful Planet Pop Star was.

It had been only a few days since she crash-landed on the little puffball, and things were definitely looking up. She’d found a crew she could trust, her Great Crystal was gradually being repaired…

…and moreover, she was still able to smile regardless of all that had happened.

It wasn’t all perfect yet, of course. She still had a long way to go until she could reasonably say her life was back to normal.

Here and now, though…

So long as she had these guys by her side…

 ** _“AAAAAAAAAGH!_** What the heck is UP with this _STUPID TREE!?!?!?”_

“D-Don’t sweat it, Your Majesty! J-Just keep at it—you can do this!”

“You too, Kirby! Show that overgrown plant what you’re made of!”

…she’d be fine.

Spiky tree roots extended from the ground in wave-like motions, rushing toward Kirby and Dedede one after the other. The hero and the king jumped and dodged with the grace of an athlete, swinging their lightsaber and hammer in tandem with Whispy Woods’ attacks.

If one didn’t know any better, they’d say the two had been teammates for far more than a few mere hours.

From the outer edge of the battlefield, Adeleine and Bandana Dee cheered their friends on. The artist had set up a canvas in case the on-field duo needed any emergency food supplies thrown their way. Given that she and he weren’t really fighters, they were fine sticking to the background—Kirby and Dedede could handle Whispy all by themselves.

And as for Ribbon…

She was hovering over her pink-colored friend, giving him whatever aid she could in the midst of all the chaos. Adrenaline was pumping through her veins; she’d never been in the thick of things like this before, and dang it, it was _exciting_ (even if it wasn’t remotely safe).

“Heads up, Kirby!” the fairy called out—“Apples coming in from 10 o’clock!”

Kirby somersaulted to the right, comfortably dodging a barrage of apples tumbling his way. He cocked a smile at her. “Thanks, Ribbon!”

He ran up toward the tree and slashed at his trunk, slicing the apples being dropped on him as a defense. The tree shook in irritation, and he leveled a glare at his current foe.

“What?” he nonchalantly asked. “Don’t tell me you’re having second thoughts about this!” He spun his saber around, and beamed at him as brightly as possible. “C’mon, I get that you like that Crystal Shard and all, but there’s no harm in parting ways with—”

Whispy responded by lifting himself off the ground, just as he had two years prior.

Kirby blinked. “…okay, I guess you prefer aggressive negotiations, then. No pressure!”

Ribbon gawked. “T-Trees can _do_ that!? _Excuse me!?”_

He hopped away as the angered tree started approaching him, held back only by Dedede stepping in and raising his hammer. _“Ugh…!_ You’ve got some nerve, tryin’ to go up against him and the king!” He pushed back hard against the boss, sweat going down his head, his teeth grinding in his mouth. “I’m not having any more of it, y’hear!? You’re giving us that Crystally Thingy, and _you’re gonna like it!”_

“Tell ‘em, Y-Your Majesty!” Bandana Dee shouted.

Adeleine grinned, and quickly painted an encouraging picture: that of Kirby with his hands in the air, the word of his signature catchphrase _(“Hiiiiiiiii~!”)_ hovering over his head. “I know you can do it, guys! Take ‘im down, Super Stars!”

“You don’t have to tell us twice!” Ribbon nodded. She and her two companions turned their attention back onto their opponent, and bore witness to him summoning little Whispy Woods Jrs. to help him out. The newly expanded squad ruffled their leaves and let out a coordinated roar… to the nonchalant expressions of everyone watching.

“So he’s sending his children out to help take us out,” Kirby said, twirling his lightsaber. “Cute, but it’s not gonna help him.”

“That’s one thing we can agree on!” Dedede snorted, slinging his hammer over his shoulder. “Get ready, Whispy! By my royal decree, _you’re going down!”_

“Go, go!” the fairy pumped her fist in the air.

* * *

“Wow, look at everybody go,” Pitch chirped.

Seven denizens of the Great Forest—Rick, Kine, Coo, Gooey, Pitch, Chuchu, and Nago—were nestled up in the trees surrounding the clearing. With curious eyes, they watched as a veritable storm blew on from the heart of their home, with a few familiar faces at the center of it all.

“Kirby really knows how to put on a show, eh mates?” Rick spoke up, scratching his whiskers with his paw. “He and Dedede are making ‘ol Whispy look like a chump.”

“That’s not very surprising,” Kine said. “Anyone can do that, really—it’s just that Kirby’s the most experienced fighter here, so the difference in ability is that much more emphasized.”

“Serves that tree right!” Coo huffed. “He shook me off his branches last night—and he even had the nerve to attack me afterward!”

Rick glanced at the owl. “You sure that wasn’t ‘cause of your dazzlin’ personality?” he teased.

“Ah, shaddup! It was still rude!”

“Maybe Dark Matter did it,” Gooey mused—notably, a lot more sagely than his expected norm. “Dark Matter makes _everyone_ act weird. We shouldn’t hold it against them.”

“That’s right,” Chuchu affirmed. “I mean, the two of us didn’t let Adeleine’s little freak-out stop us from befriending her! …admittedly, her freak-out was less ‘cause of possession and more due to being scared, but—the point stands!”

“Speaking of which…” Nago looked at the members of the anti-Dark Matter team this time around. Seeing Kirby at the helm wasn’t unexpected, given his status as Pop Star’s premier protagonist… but the rest of the crew served as something of a surprise.

There was Ribbon, the fairy girl from Ripple Star, bright and bubbly in spite of the horrors she’d witnessed.

There was Bandana Dee, the admirer from afar, earnest in his desires to support Kirby and co. all the way.

There was Adeleine, more a friend(ly artist) than a fighter, but willing to lend a hand nevertheless.

And finally, there was King Dedede, discarding his sedentary nature and deciding to be the hero for once.

They were a diverse group of characters; a ragtag bunch of misfits, one might call them. Though they didn’t have the same type of camaraderie as the Animal Buddies, Kirby made things work all the same. He united them, he let them bounce off of one another—but most of all, he… simply encouraged them to be friends.

That was it. He gave them a chance to shine.

And shine they did.

The adventure was only beginning, of course, and there was still plenty more room for them to grow. But it was clear that the puffball had assembled quite the crew—and the Animal Buddies were fine with that, honestly.

“…his crew is pretty entertaining, I’ll admit,” the cat continued. He leaned back against the tree they were on, tilting the edges of his mouth upward. “He’s certainly got a knack for drawing in the weirdest crowd possible.”

“You’re making it sound like we’re _all_ weirdos, Nago,” Chuchu pouting.

“Well, we are,” he shrugged. “[Shiro](https://wikirby.com/wiki/Shiro) would agree with me, at least.”

“Speak for yourself…” Coo grumbled. “I’m a perfectly respectable owl, thank you very much!”

“I think it’s fine,” Gooey threw in his two cents. “Kirby gets to have more friends, we get to have more friends—and they get to be the best of friends. Everybody wins.” He stuck out his tongue and let it curl. “Isn’t that what friendship is about?”

The other six Animal Buddies returned their attention to the scene below. Everyone was audibly having a good time: Kirby was spouting out his usual sass; King Dedede was throwing his banter of his own back; Adeleine, Ribbon, and Bandana Dee were shouting excitedly into the wind…

_“C’mon, Dedede, keep up! You’ve gotta use that bulk for **something** ~!”_

_“Don’t you be sassin’ me now! We can’t all be fancy schmancy-pants like you!”_

_“F-Fight, you two, **fight!** You’ve—You’ve almost got this!!!”_

“That’s one way to put it, Gooey,” Rick said, with a chipper attitude. “With them goin’ ‘round, I’m sure the galaxy’s in good hands.”

“Maybe we can get a break for once,” Kine chuckled. “I know I’ve been looking to spend more time with [Mine](https://wikirby.com/wiki/Mine), ‘stead of running around dealing with Dark Matter.”

“Mama would like to sleep, too,” Pitch tweeted again. “Naptimes are good for everybody… I think.” He waddled in place. “Do you think Adeleine and Ms. Fairy would like to join us, after everything’s done?”

“Maybe, Pitch,” the resident octopus said. “Maybe.”

* * *

Soon enough, the battle drew to a close.

As hard as he tried, Whispy Woods just couldn’t match up to the two superior fighters facing him. Lightsaber and hammer swung down at his sides, and dealt the final blow—

—and the tree ended up reeling back and slumping per usual, a teardrop going down a closed eye. A Crystal Shard fell from his leaves as well, and Ribbon wasted no time in collecting it for the team.

Kirby and Dedede stared at the fallen boss for a bit before relaxing. The puffball pumped a fist into the air and cheered. _“Aw, yeah! We did it!”_

 _“We did it!”_ Ribbon spun around her friend and repeated his action, so excited she was at their victory. “High five!”

The two clapped their palms together and rejoiced in the sound it made. The hero, in turn, went to Dedede and offered up his hand. “High five!”

The king’s response was succinct: he whirled around, crossed his arms, and huffed. “No.”

Kirby took it in stride. This wasn’t unexpected. “Suit yourself!”

Something ruffled about in Whispy Woods’ branches, drawing everyone’s attention. It leaped up into the air, revealing itself to be a blob of Dark Matter. The entity narrowed his eye at the five before him, and then took off into the sky.

For the third time in five years, the forces of Dark Matter had been expelled from Planet Pop Star.

And hopefully, this time… it’d be the _last_ time.

“I think that’s the last of ‘em,” Adeleine said, peering into the sky with a hand horizontally on her forehead. “Dream Land’s completely Dark Matter-free now!”

“W-W- _WOO-HOOOOOO!”_ Bandana Dee cried. “They’re gone **_forever!”_** He took the artist’s hands and started hopping up and down in excitement, happy tears streaming from his eyes. “N-No more possession! No more fear! **_YESSSSSSS!”_**

“Wh-Whoa, hey!” she protested—“Don’t go jumping so hard, Dee! I—I need my arms intact to paint!”

The seven other Dark Matter veterans leaped down from their vantage point and approached the victorious quintet.

Rick whistled. “You sure sent ‘em packing, Kirby,” he remarked. “That was an even better spectacle than last time, methinks!”

“You _think?”_ Coo snarked. “He’s got a _lightsaber;_ even I can tell that’s not something to trifle with!”

Chuchu shuffled closer to the puffball. “I bet you’re having a lot of fun figuring out your new toolkit,” she said. “We must’ve rubbed off on you, what with our own Ability Mixes and all.”

“That’s an understatement, I’d say,” Ribbon giggled. “You should’ve seen him with a big flaming sword! And his giant drill, and his curling stone—oh, and his electrified rock mace, too!” She took a glance at the various Dream Landers before her, and smiled softly. “Y’know, I… I wish we got to hang out with you guys more. You all seem like great people, and there’s plenty of stories I still wanna hear.”

Bandana Dee nodded profusely. “U-Uh-huh! I—I understand if you’d p-prefer to keep to yourself, th-though! I mean, we—we _are_ the new guys on the block…”

“Hey, it’s alright,” Kine said. “We’re pretty cool ‘bout everything, anyway. ‘Sides…” He wryly smirked. “…we wouldn’t wanna intrude on your fun.”

“We’ve had our chance to shine,” Rick added—“this is **you guys’** show now, mates! Well, you and Kirby’s, but still!”

Now those were some lofty prospects to live up to.

If you were to ask Ribbon about this last week – about the chances of her getting to go on a grand adventure with so many new friends, regardless of the circumstances behind it – she’d tell you that it was a pipe dream, at best.

And yet, here she was, in the thick of things with Kirby and co.

…she loved it.

She loved it a lot.

If Ribbon was being honest, a part of her felt sad that—eventually—this would all come to an end. She’d only known everyone for a short time, and yet… that time felt far more like years than it had days.

But… there was no reason why she couldn’t enjoy that time to the fullest until then.

This was their _journey—_

—and she wasn’t going to give it up for anything.

“We’ll do our best to live up to your expectations, then,” Ribbon replied.

Dedede hmphed. “Do you really have so little faith in your king?” He stood up straight and puffed a fist against his chest. “You better put those doubts aside! Lemme tell you, I’m gonna hit Dark Matter so hard, they’ll be seeing _stars!”_

“Yeah, what he said,” Kirby chimed in, still spinning his lightsaber around.

“Somebody’s all hyped up for this,” Adeleine grinned. She clasped her paintbrush tightly and waved it in the air. To everyone else, she said, “Well, while he and Kirby do that, I’ll make sure to paint everything I see as a souvenir for y’all! There’s a whole galaxy for us to explore, and I’m not gonna miss any of it!”

“Yaaaaaaaaay!” Pitch hailed brightly. “More paintings! They’re gonna be so pretty!”

“I like souvenirs,” Gooey added as well. “Ado makes the best ones.”

“So long as you don’t overextend yourself, we’ll take it,” Nago said. “Just try not to stumble too badly, alright?”

Kirby laughed. “Don’t worry, we won’t.”

Ribbon’s Great Crystal proceeded to float out of her hands, glowing brightly as it did. It transformed into a portal, depicting a peculiar-looking planet: a series of continental pieces barely holding themselves under their own gravitational field.

This was the crew’s next destination, the nearest repository of Crystal Shards in the galaxy.

 **Rock Star**.

“It’s time to go,” Ribbon said. She cast one last glimpse at the Animal Buddies and waved her hand. “It was nice meeting you all. I hope we’ll get to catch up some other time!”

“You too, Ribbon!” Rick said back.

“Be a good friend,” Gooey randomly advised.

“Show those creeps the real superpower of _friendship!”_ Chuchu suggested.

The pink-haired girl flew off into the portal, and her current companions prepared to follow.

“Right. ‘Nuff sitting ‘round. Let’s go save the Gamble Galaxy—and Ripple Star too!” the puffball declared. He pointed his laser blade at the star-shaped Warp Hole and smiled determinedly. “To a world without Dark Matter!”

 **“To a world without Dark Matter!”** his team chorused as one.

The four jumped into the gateway, all together—which then immediatwly turned back into the Great Crystal, still shimmering with latent positive energy. It shot off into the sky, much to the awe of the gathered Great Forest denizens—

—and just like that, Kirby and co.’s adventure was kicked off for real.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At last—another prequel fic has been completed! _Woooooo-hoooooo!_
> 
> Since this is the last I’ll be showcasing of this ‘verse’s version of _Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards_ (disregarding flashbacks), it’s only right that I give the whole crew a chance to shine, united here as they are.
> 
> So here’s them facing off against Whispy Woods together. Again, they’re not entirely best friends yet, but it’s a start—and dang if I’m gonna give up the chance to write some more battle fluff!
> 
> Originally, I wasn’t going to include any of the Animal Buddies here – but since _is_ the end of the Dark Matter Trilogy, I figured it’d be a waste not to. They’ve been with Kirby all this time, after all; they deserve a good send-off of their own, even if their influence in this adventure is fairly limited in scale.
> 
> I’ve had a lot of fun writing this fic over the past month or so, and I hope I’ve managed to provide greater context for the crew’s interactions down the line. It may not be much, but it’s definitely an important step forward for everyone here.
> 
> Well, that’s all for now! See you around!


End file.
